Extension-table



(No Model.) v

. W. G. BOUGHTON.

' EXTENSION TABLE.

No.552,510. Patented Jan. 7, 1896.

NlTEfD STATES ATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAhf G. BOUGHTITON, OF FROSTBURG, MARYLANl).

EXTENSION-TABLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent 1\To 552,510, dated January 7, 1896.

Application filed April 4, 1895. Serial No. 544,444. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIA G. BOUGH- TON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Frostburg, in the county of Allegany and State of Maryland, have invented a new and useful Extension-Table, of which the followin g is a specification.

My invention relates to tables of the class known as extension; and the objects in view are to provide a simple and efficient construction and arrangement of parts whereby lost motion or excessive friction between the relatively slidable parts may be compensated for by suitable adjustment; to provide c011- nections between the relatively-slidable parts whereby the wearing and chipping or splitting of the feathers for connecting the bars are prevented; to provide feathers for the connecting-bars having the maximum strength at the point of greatest strain and constructed to hold the inner faces of the bars out of contact; to provide an improved form of frame for the table whereby the intermediate portion thereof is braced without an intermediate leg; to provide means whereby the weight supported by the table is properly distributed over the space between and beyond the sup porting-legs to avoid side strain upon the lat ter, and to provide improved means for mounting the adjustable table-top sections whereby they may be adjusted beyond the frame-sections Further objects and advantages of this i11- vention will appear in the following description, and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a table constructed in accordance with my inventiomthe same being shown extended. Fig. S2 is a bottom plan view of the same folded. Fig. 3 is a detail traverse section of one of the connecting bars. Fig. 4 is a detail side view partly in section. Fig. 5 is a detail view of one end of one of the connecting-bars.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the fi gures of the drawings.

The table-frame is sectional in construction, comprising the separable sections 1 and 2, which are connected by the relatively slidableframe-sections. adapted, as shown in Fig. 3, to be moved inbars 3. Said frame-sections com prise the end bars 4, the side bars 5 and the braces 6, which are flush at their lower edges with the lower edges of the side and end bars and which connect the inner ends of the side bars. The connecting-bars 3 are secured at their outer extremities to the end bars of the frame-sections and rest upon and are secured to intermediate portions of the transverse braces U. The

supporting-legs 7 are secured to the framewardor toward each other until their inner edges are flush with the inner edges of the frame-sections, and are adapted to move outward or from each other, in the construction illustrated, until their inner edges are approximately flush with the outer sides of the frame-sections. It is obvious, however, that the extent of outward movement is limited only by the length of the supporting-bars, which may extend inward as far as desired and which, when the top sections are extended, are adapted as well as the connecting bars to support table-top leaves of the ordinary construction. tension top sections are supported solely by (Not shown.) The exthe supporting-bars, of which there are two for each section, each supporting-bar being mounted to slide upon a connecting-bar. The extension table-top sections provide for distributing the weight supported by the table, whereby the weight upon the portion of the table between the supportinglegs is counterbalanced, approximately, by the weight outside of or beyond the same, and

hence the necessity of an intermediate or bracing-leg is avoided. A further advantage of this extension of the table-top sections with relation to the frame-sections is that it provides a suitable interval between the edge of the table-top section and the supporting-legs whereby the latter do not interfere with chairs arranged adjacent to or persons sitting at the table. The connecting-bars are provided in their facing or contiguous sides with guidegrooves 11, in the extremities of which are fitted the feathers 12. Oppositely-disposed or relatively-inverted feathers are secured to each connecting-bar, the outer or remote sides of the feathers being plain and rectangular in cross-section while the inner or adjacent sides thereof are grooved to receive beads formed on the inner or adjacent sides of the guide-grooves in the bars. In other words, the bearing-surfaces of the feathers and guide-grooves are adjacent to or face each other, and it is obvious that by varying the interval between the feathers the frictional contact between the bearing-surfaces may be adjusted to compensate for wear, shrinkage, and other variations, occuring during use. This adjustment maybe attained by longitudinally slotting or slitting the inner ends of the connecting-bars between and parallel with the feathers, as shown at 13, and providing a bolt or screw 14 for contract ing or expanding the same.

The feathers are cross-section ally rectangular, and are preferably horizontally elongated with one edge fixed in the end of the guidegroove in one connecting-bar and the other edge fitted to slide in the guide-groove of the other bar.

The inner facing sides of the feathers are provided with cross-sectionally segmental grooves 15 to receive the similar beads 16 formed at the inner sides of the guide-grooves, whereby the bearing of the feathers in the grooves is independent of the inner or con tiguous faces of the connecting-bars. The feathers may be moved toward each other to tighten the joints without forcing the facingsurfaces of the bars in contact. Furthermore, it will be seen that the formation of rounded grooves in the feathers for the reception of the beads in the guide-grooves leaves the centers of the feathers or the portions in the plane of the inner surfaces of the connecting-bars the full width of the feather, and hence of full strength, this point being the part of the feather which is subjected to the greatest strain in use. A key 17 is employed to secure each feather in place.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invent-ion.

Having described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a table, the combination of a sectional frame having supporting legs at its outer a11- gles and each comprising end and side bars of which the latter are connected at their i11- ner extremities by transverse braces 6, exten sion connecting bars secured to the framesections and extending over and resting upon said braces, extension table-top sections arranged to slide over and rest upon the connecting bars, and supporting bars mounted to slide upon the connecting bars and support the table-top sections when extended beyond the frame-sections, the supporting bars being provided with feathers operating in guide-grooves in the connecting bars, and passing through openings in the end bars with their upper sides flush with the upper sides of the connecting bars, substantially as specified. v

2. In an extension table, the combination with separable frame-sections, of extension connecting-bars between the sections provided in the inner sides of their overlapping ends with parallel upper and lower guidegrooves and feathers carrried by the bars and fitting to slide in said grooves, the extremities of said bars being longitudinally slotted or slitted between the channels, and means for contracting and expanding the extremities of the bars to vary the intervals between the feathers, substantially as specified.

In an extension table, the combination with separable frame-sections, of extension connecting-bars provided in the inner sides of their overlapping ends with parallel upper and lower guide-grooves having crosssectionally segmental or rounded beads, and crosssectionally rectangular feathers provided upon one side with parallel rounded grooves to receive the beads in the guide-grooves, respectively, of the overlapping bars, the grooves in the feathers being in the facing sides thereof, and means for adjusting the feathers toward and from each other to produce the desired frictional contact of the feathers with the beaded sides of the guidegrooves, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WVM. G. BOUGIITON. lVitnesses JOHN H. SIGGERS, HENRY I-IoMAN. 

